South Africa was ranked 19 out of 193 countries for criminality in a report by the Global Organised Crime Index. Human trafficking in SA The 188-page report says that SA is a destination country for human trafficking. “Traffickers are known to recruit people from the poorer, rural areas to urban centres, where they are then…
forced into domestic servitude, sex trafficking and other forms of forced labour,” the report read.
The report revealed that a major corruption market in the country is associated with the movement of foreign nationals. This is predominately related to paperwork and the process of crossing borders with a bribe – instead of a passport.
Flow of arms within SA
The report states that SA has a significant flow of arms and that these firearms are overwhelmingly used by criminals to intimidate, injure and kill. While there are a number of ways these criminals get their hands on firearms, more recent local sources include weapons stolen or lost by legitimate firearms owners and weapons siphoned from the State.
Drugs
The report describes Mzansi as both a destination and trans-shipment point for Afghan heroin that arrives via sea routes, air routes or overland routes. The heroin trade is controlled by organised criminal groups.
“Border, customs, and police officials are reportedly involved in facilitating the distribution of the drug, and transit through the country,” the report read.
In terms of cocaine, the amounts consumed and trafficked have grown significantly.
High criminality – high resilience
South Africa is one of nine countries in the world that has high criminality but also a high resilience. The report describes these as countries with high levels of criminality that have also developed ‘robust frameworks and mechanisms’ to counter organised crime.
“What is immediately striking about these countries is that the majority are among the economic powerhouses in their respective regions,” it read.
